Environmental advocacy group Evergreen Action recently launched a series of political advertisements emphasizing the positive impacts of the Biden administration’s green agenda. The group spent $1 million on these ads, which focused on clean energy developments in Wisconsin and Michigan, even as some of these initiatives have faced controversy.
One ad in Wisconsin highlighted solar projects expected to power 750,000 homes. However, part of this solar power push faced delays in 2023 due to federal investigations into whether some panels were produced using forced labor in China.
Some local residents have also expressed frustration with the development process. Under Wisconsin law, the State’s Public Service Commission has authority over large-scale renewable energy projects, requiring those interested in developing solar farms on their property to sell or lease their land, a process rural communities have said can be disruptive to their livelihoods.
Efforts to amend this legislation have been ongoing, mirroring similar actions in Michigan, where a petition against a similar renewable energy law garnered tens of thousands of signatures. Organizers aim to have the policy repealed by putting it to a vote in the 2026 ballot.
Rather than focusing on solar energy, the pro-Biden ad in Michigan highlighted the state’s electric vehicle (EV) industry. Since 2022, Michigan has benefited from over $16 billion in EV investments, creating more than 16,000 new jobs.
Despite these economic gains, public support in the state for the EV transition remains tepid. A poll from last year indicated that 44% of Michigan voters did not support the shift to electric vehicles. Additionally, data collected in April revealed that only 5% of voters plan to purchase an EV within the next five years.
